Orthobrachia flavidior (Hampson, 1898)

Huang, Guo-Hua, Su, Zi-You & Stuening, Dieter, 2016, Taxonomic notes on the genus Orthobrachia Warren, with description of a new species from China and Thailand (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), ZooKeys 609, pp. 121-137 : 125-127

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Geometridae

Orthobrachia flavidior (Hampson, 1898) Figures 2 C–F, 4B, 5B

Orthobrachia latifasciata ab. flavidior Warren, 1896, Novit. zool. 3: 128. Unavailable, infrasubspecific.

Stegania latifasciata var. flavidior Hampson, 1898, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 11: 714. Type locality: Khasi Hills, India.

Lomographa latifasciata flavidior Warren [sic]: Wehrli 1939: 296. Incorrect authorship.

Orthobrachia flavidior : Yazaki 1992: 22.

Diagnosis.

This species is very similar to Orthobrachia latifasciata , but is generally smaller and can be distinguished by external features and characters of the genitalia: the postmedial line of forewing is almost straight or just slightly curved inward from costa to tornus, the clear white medial bands of hind wing are narrowly bordered dark grey outside, but a large, dark apical patch is absent; the uncus is broader and a little shorter than in latifasciata ; the valva is shorter and broader and has a large, roundish, sclerotized lobe at base of the costa and lacks a median, hook-like costal process found in latifasciata . The basal saccular process is much larger and longer and arises more distally. A second saccular lobe is missing. The aedeagus is rather stout, with a round apex, which is bluntly pointed in latifasciata . The cornuti, consisting of a pair of stout spines situated on a diverticulum of the vesica, are somewhat longer than in latifasciata . In the female genitalia, the antrum is well sclerotized, nearly quadrate, with two pairs of processes, longer at caudal and shorter at distal margin, while in latifasciata it bears three longer distal spines.

Material examined.

INDIA: 1♀, Lectotype of Orthobrachia latifasciata ab. flavidior Warren, designated by Yazaki (1992), labeled "Type/ Orthobrachia latifasciata Moore ab. flavidior Warr. Type ♀/ Khasis Nat. Coll. /Rothschild Bequest B. M. 1939-1/ Geometridae genitalia slide No. 15658 ♀", BMNH; 1♀, Paralectotype of Orthobrachia latifasciata ab. flavidior Warren, "Khasis, May 1896, Nat. Coll."/ Collectio H. J. Elwes/ ZFMK, by exchange from BMNH, 1964; l♂, Khasia Hills, Assam, Nissary; Joicey Bequest. Brit. Mus. 1934-120/ ZFMK, by exchange from BMNH, 1964; l♂, India, W. Bengal, 2400 m, Darjeeling, Tigerhill, 10-12.VII.1986, leg. W. Thomas. ZFMK; 1♀, same locality & collector, 29-31.VIII.1986, ZFMK. NEPAL: l♂, Go davari, 2.V.1990, preserved in BMNH; l♂, Mt. Phulchouki 21.VII.1990, BMNH. l♂, Pokhara, 2 km S Kharey, 1785 m, 21-25.II.2009, leg. T. Ihle & S. Löffler. ZFMK; l♂, Gandaki Kaski District, Naudanda, 1470 m, 12.X.1981, M. Owada leg., NSMT. CHINA: 1♀, Tieshanting, Mao’ershan National Nature Reserve, 1950 m, 11.IX.2015, M. Wang leg., SCAU. l♂, West-Tien-Mu-Shan, 1600 m, Pz. Chekiang, 18.VII.1932, H. Höne. "/ Lomographa latifasciata [sic] Moore ♂, abgebildet Seitz IV. Suppl. Fig. 22g, ZFMK; 1♀, "Chasseurs Indigènes des Missionaires de Ta-tsien-Lou, 1906", ex coll. Ch. Oberthür. ZFMK. THAILAND: l♂, Changwat Chiang Mai, Doi Phahompok, 18km NW of Fang, 2100 m, 7.II.2000, leg. Hreblay & Szabó, ZFMK; VIETNAM: l♂, N. Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, 2250 m, 1-6.XI.1995, leg. V. Sinjaev & E. Afonin; l♂1♀, N. Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, 1500-1800 m, 10.VI-6.VII.1994, leg. V. Sinjaev & local collectors (ZFMK).

Biology.

The adults are flying from February to November.

Distribution.

N. India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Remarks.

This species was firstly described by Warren (1896) as latifasciata ab. flavidior , which is nomenclaturally unavailable. Hampson (1898) raised the name to a species-group rank, stating, "The Khasi form has the dark markings of forewing reduced, and the white band of hindwing broader." - The " latifasciata "-male from Zhejiang figured in Seitz 4, Suppl. on plate 22, line g, is misidentified and in fact a male of flavidior . It is preserved in coll. ZFMK and could be checked by D.S.